Close of 2015 Season Off the Shores of Tadoussac

It’s one of the last trips offshore for the 2015 season. There’s a tinge of sadness, for sure, but it’s no time to be nostalgic, as the Estuary is still buzzing with activity. There’s a group of over 150 gray seals near the Prince Shoal Lighthouse, and 10 or so minke whales are still frequenting this same area, sometimes surfacing just a few metres from the seals, who do not seem the least bit fazed!

Flocks of seabirds, essentially black-legged kittiwakes and Bonaparte’s gulls, circle above the groups of seals and minke whales. I also manage to spot a Sabine’s gull, a much rarer species, a little to the east of the lighthouse.

My season on the water is coming to an end. Join us in May 2016 for more news from offshore. In the meantime, I’ll continue to walk the shores in search of large spouts, observe seabirds and enjoy the scenes that the river has to offer. Scenes that change with the winds and the tides.

Photos: © Renaud Pintiaux

GREMM research assistant from 2003 to 2009 and from 2012 to 2014, Renaud Pintiaux is a passionate observer and photographer. Year round and regardless of whether from shore or on the water, he takes every opportunity to observe the marine mammals and birds of the Saguenay–St. Lawerence Marine Park.